SIK WILLIAM CROOKES ON SCANDIUM. 43 



SCANDIUM CAMPHORATE, 



The camphorate is prepared by heating scandium hydroxide with a slight excess of 

 camphoric acid and water. The hydroxide is easily attacked and converted into an 

 insoluble camphorate. It may be prepared also by precipitating a solution of scandium 

 nitrate with a solution of ammonium camphorate. In either case it forms an insoluble 

 white precipitate, which, after thorough washing and drying at 100, has the 

 composition given above. 



Scandium camphorate is anhydrous and insoluble in water and alcohol. It is 

 easily soluble in dilute mineral acids. When dry it is very electrical, and an attempt 

 to powder it sends it flying out of the mortar. If it is put warm between two watch- 

 glasses, and the lower glass is gently rubbed on the outside with the finger, the path 

 of the finger is marked by a flight of camphorate from the lower to the upper glass, 

 where it sticks. This peculiarity makes it not easy to perform the preliminary 

 operations of drying, transferring, and weighing, preparatory to its quantitative 

 analysis. 



Gradually heated to redness, the camphorate at first blackens with carbon. At a 

 red heat this burns off, leaving a white residue of scandia. 



Analysis. 



(1) 18'191 grs. of the camphorate, dried at 100, yielded on ignition 4772 grs. of 



scandia, = 3'0902-grs. of scandium. 



(2) 17'921 grs. of the camphorate yielded on ignition 4719 grs. of scandia, 



= 3'0559 grs. of scandium. 



Theory. Experiment. 



(i). (*) 

 Sc 44-10 17-01 16-99 17'05 



C 10 120-00^ 



H 16 15-12 I 82-99 83'01 82'95 



O 5 80'OoJ 



259-22 100-00 lOO'OO lOO'OO 



G 2 



